Material Type

Recording

Date Range

1978

Fonds

Pioneer Researchers Association Oral History Project

Creator

Pioneer Researchers Association

Physical Description

1 cassette tape; digital copy

Physical Condition

Excellent

Acquisition Source

Pioneer Researchers

Scope and Content

Tape 1 Side A - Albert is proprietor of Bow On long Co., 2nd Ave South in Chinatown. Bow On long means good health. The store was a Chinese pharmacy when his father owned it. - Family information: His father migrated to Canada in 1902 at the age of 14. He operated a Chinese pharmacy in Vancouver until 1928 when he purchased the store in Lethbridge. He had 4 wives and 20 children. - Chinatown Lethbridge was larger, but populated with primarily single males. - Albert's father did a family tree and traced as far back as 1500 BC. - Albert's father at age 40, married Albert's mother at age 14. Together they had 13 children. Albert's father already had 7 children from his marriages in China. Alberta believes his mother was the only Chinese woman in Lethbridge for a few years. She was born in Hong Kong and came to Canada in 1921. Albert and his mother visited China and met two of the other wives. - Life in Chinatown: gambling, particularly Fan Tan, was popular among the men and women. Discussion about opium smoking. - Albert was born in Lethbridge in 1941, number 4 son of number 4 wife. All 13 children were born at home. - Albert attended Central and Bowman Schools. The school in Chinatown was used for evening classes in Chinese. - Albert is not married, the only family member that isn't, because he is caring for his elderly mother. - Description of the businesses in Chinatown. SideB - Continue with businesses. - Chinese Free Masons. - Employemnt opportunities for Chinese: cooks, farmers/gardeners. Freddie Lee was a vegetable gardener who peddled his goods from a horse drawn cart. - Chinese cemetery on the northside was purchased from the Italians in the early part of the century. In the early 1970's the Chinese obtained a portion of Mountain View. Information about Chinese burial customs. - Albert did not notice much discrimination towards the Chinese. - Information about the family business. Bow On Tong was a Chinese pharmacy during his father's time, but Albert did not have the training to continue the trade. The store now sells grocery items, Chinese wares, ornaments, knick knacks. The drawers containing the Chinese herbs are in their original place. - Relates stories about two ghosts in the Chinatown area.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19921008030

Collection

Archive

Less detail